Pete Waterman has declared he will be 'Mr Nasty' when he joins Simon Cowell as a regular guest judge on the new Netflix docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act, launching on December 10. The 71-year-old music mogul, who previously judged alongside Cowell on Pop Idol 22 years ago, promises to tell the truth rather than being kind.
Waterman dismissed modern talent show judging as too gentle, criticising programmes like Strictly Come Dancing for measured criticism. He said: 'On Pop Idol, Popstars: The Rivals and X Factor in the early days, we told the truth and that is why we got 20 million viewers.' He also dismissed recent documentaries about the pitfalls of boyband fame, calling them 'empty vessels making the most noise.'
The producer hinted that the new show might discover a boyband as successful as One Direction, saying: 'I think we are desperate for a new boy band... it is an amazing challenge. But if anyone can do it, Simon can.' Waterman praised Cowell's previous work with One Direction, noting their marketing innovation, and singled out Harry Styles for his image and follower count.
Despite his return to talent shows, Waterman expressed relief at not sharing Cowell's level of fame, saying he prefers to go home and play with his model trains. He also lauded Rick Astley and Kylie Minogue, marvelling at how Astley went from tea boy to global star and noting that a musical birthday card featuring 'Never Gonna Give You Up' seemed unimaginable 30 years ago.
